Boeing to develop refueling drones for Pentagon

Washington: The Pentagon announced Thursday it had awarded US aerospace giant Boeing an $805 million contract to develop the first unmanned refueling drones for the United States Navy.

Boeing is charged with everything from designing and producing to delivering and servicing four "MQ-25A Stingray" drones, which will enter service in 2024, the Navy said in a statement.

The drones -- named after their stingray silhouette -- will be launched from aircraft carriers, greatly expanding US aircrafts´ range and mission capability.

"This is an historic day," said Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson.

"We will look back on this day and recognize that this event represents a dramatic shift in the way we define warfighting requirements, work with industry, integrate unmanned and manned aircraft, and improve the lethality of the air wing - all at relevant speed."

Boeing had to fight off General Atomics and Lockheed Martin for the contract. If the four aircraft meet requirements, the contract could be expanded to $13 billion for 72 drones, the Pentagon said.